Government and businesses debate Northern Ireland’s role in combating climate change
02 December 2009
Business leaders, local and national government representatives, and environmental experts gathered in Belfast today to debate Northern Ireland’s role in combating climate change. The debate formed part of WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Northern Ireland’s first Annual Conference, held at the Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick.
Keynote speakers at the conference included Edwin Poots MLA, Minister of Environment, Dr Liz Goodwin, WRAP’s CEO, and Jim Kitchen, Head of the Sustainable Development Commission in Northern Ireland.
This was followed by a Question Time style debate, chaired by BBC Northern Ireland’s Jim Fitzpatrick, addressing how resource efficiency could help Northern Ireland businesses and consumers reduce their carbon impact. As well as Dr Goodwin and Mr Kitchen, panellists included Denis McMahon (Director, Waste Infrastructure, DOE Policy and Environmental Protection Group), Professor Sue Christie (Director of Northern Ireland Environment Link), Eric Randall (Director of Recycling, Bryson Recycling), and Michael Graham (Executive Chairman, John Graham Holdings Ltd).
The panel responded to questions posed by conference delegates. In answer to a question about what more the Northern Ireland Government could do, Prof Christie said that there were many examples of good practice across Government, but these needed to be brought together in a coherent package. She said that due to Northern Ireland’s size, it could pilot environmental programmes which could then be rolled out across the UK.
A question was posed about what constituted a ‘green job’ and what sort of education was needed to prepare students for this. The panel agreed with Dr Goodwin that resource efficiency and sustainability should become part of all jobs and an integral part of doing business.
Eric Randall, in response to a question about getting everyone to play their part in combating climate change, highlighted the importance of making it easy for people. He estimated that 60-70% of recycling took place because householders had a good service.
Dr McMahon said that Northern Ireland needed all the infrastructure possible to extract resources from waste. He said a step change was needed in recycling, reuse and prevention and that we needed to make effective use of resources was viable in the medium to long term. He said that this presented a huge opportunity for Northern Ireland.
The conference comes in the wake of new research, commissioned by WRAP. The first of its kind in the UK, this shows that making better use of our natural resources could contribute as much as 10% of the target[1] reduction in UK domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2020.
The research indicates that resource efficiency could prove to be a ‘secret weapon’ against climate change as it allows immediate action to meet pressing and challenging targets. From an economic perspective, resource efficiency can also offer £6.4 billion savings a year to UK businesses.
Liz Goodwin, WRAP CEO said: “WRAP’s research shows the significant impact that resource efficiency could have on the environment and the economy. Today we have highlighted the important role that businesses in Northern Ireland have in contributing to combating climate change, through making better use of natural resources.
“For example, last year construction projects worth more £4 billion included requirements to cut waste going to landfill. Of the Northern Ireland signatories that WRAP has worked with so far, they are able to influence £899 million of projects where the commitment can make significant gains in resource efficiency which will impact on the construction supply chain in Northern Ireland. This will bring increased diversion from landfill, increased recycling and recovery of materials and provide the potential for economic growth and increased employment.”
Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA also highlighted the opportunities that recycling can offer the Northern Ireland economy. He said: "The Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy recognised that a major obstacle to increasing levels of recycling and resource recovery in Northern Ireland is the lack of local markets for recovered materials, compost and products containing recycled material.
“Establishing sustained demand for these products is the most effective means of stimulating the market. Recycling offers many new business opportunities for the Northern Ireland economy.
“I am a great believer that the environment and the economy do not need to be competitors. They can be partners helping us to build a stronger and better and more sustainable Northern Ireland.”
Editor's notes:
- WRAP helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
- More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk
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